Data distribution device



Filed Feb. 9, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 8, 1950 w. D. WARD 2,518,103 v v DATA DISTRIBUTION DEVICE INVENTOR.

A 8, 9 w. D. WARD 2,518,103 pmmSmiampN 1mm: J

Filed Feb. 9, 1946 f i 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 8, 1950 w. D. WARD 2,518,103

DATA DISTRIBUTION DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ml]. 6/ 2412mm INVENTOR.

BY W

Aug. 8, 1950 w, p, WARD 2,518,103

um ni'smsunon bEvmE Filed Feb. 9, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Hems Price Hems Prkfi Pe eTuaI Invoice Shed Tobuldfion of Individual Soles v BY 9 I will" Patented Aug. 8, 1950 Application February 9, 1946, Serial No. 646,595

2 Claims.

My invention relates to inventory equipment, and more especially to devices used as time savers in such work.

An object of my invention is to provide a means of expediting the distribution of items of mechandise in a perpetual inventory system.

A particular purpose of my invention is to advance a new and novel teaching in the art of tabulating merchandise items quickly, conveniently, and accurately, in a perpetual inventory arrangement which will check individual pricing,

extensions and totals, and will give costs and gross profits, as desired, as well as a perpetual inventory of merchandise or tabulation of similar statistics.

I achieve the purposes of my invention by the operative equipment disclosed and explained in this specification, defined in the claims and comprehensively shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the base frame of my device shown with the control mechanism for the selective adjustment of the sidemovement of the tabulating members.

Figure 2 is a top view of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective of Figure l with the bottom tabulating members in operative position thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective of my device assembled.

Figure 5 is a perspective of the pull rod ratchet control means for making sidewise adjustments in the tabulating plates of my device, with pawl release device for allowing the return of the carriage or support bar with masks.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the tabulating support plate in my equipment.

Figure 7 is a perspective of a mask or tabulating plate of my device. I

Figure 8 is a perspective .of the spring clamp hook for holding the tabulating mask, and support plates in operative space relation, and the means by which they are pivotally released to swing up, one set at a time, or all together above the clamp hook.

Figure 9 is an end view of my device.

Figure 10 is a top or plan view of a detail of the upper end of my masks.

Figure 11 is a top or plan view of a detail of a top end of a tabulating sheet for perpetual inventories and statistics desired.

I shall now describe my invention as I refer to the drawings thereof, and thus facilitate a comprehensive analysis of its outstanding merits as an equipment much needed in the daily Op ration of a progressive merchant both in wholesale and retail service.

In this detail study of my novel equipment, therefore, it will be observed that I provide a base frame 1 made to slope on top toward an operator thereof when standing in front of the same.

Tabulator support plates 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 pivotally carried by pins and 56 respectively, on terminal standards 51 and 58 in holes 1 and 8 therein, will be used in any desired convenient number for the detachable support of tabulating sheets 9.

Above the respective tabulating sheets 9 there is a tabulator plate or mask I0, ll, l2, l3 and I4 each used as a means of neatly, accurately and comprehensively recording a summary of merchandise items and their daily values in figures that will be quite legible in their arrangement on the tabulating sheets 9.

These neat and accurate tabulations of inventories on sheets 9 are taken from individual sales sheets and are thus made possible by the novel and practical construction of tabulator plates or masks [0, ll, I2, I3 and 14, wherein, for each order tabulation there is provided vertical slots l6, l1 and I8 through which the operator marks on one of the squares I9 of sheets 9 the number indicating the quantities of each merchandise item sold on that individual order.

These tabulator masks l0, ll, l2, I3 and M are pivotally carried at their respective ends 2i and 22 on a pair of support or hinge pins 23 and 24 on intermediate adjustable standards 25 and 26 each forming an integral part of slidably movable support bar or carriage 21.

The tabulator support plates 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 will directly support sheets 9 while tabulator masks Ill, ll, l2 and I3 and I4 register in each case directly over sheets 9 respectively while inventory data is being recorded on sheets 9 through slots l6, I1 and I8 thereof.

Support bar 21 is provided with teeth 28 and notches 29 along its back side and with corresponding teeth 30 and notches 3| on its front side.

A pull rod 32 having a finger hook 33 extending from base frame I on the front side is provided with a pawl member 34 pivoted to the rear end I5 thereof by a pin 35 and resiliently urged toward a folded forward position by a tensile spring 36.

The free end 31 of pawl 34, when pulled forward by finger hook 33, gracefully slips into one of the notches 29 of support bar 21 between two adjacent teeth 28 thereof, so that when the operator pulls on finger hook 33 then pawl 34 forces bar 21 for its return. Thus a pull on hook 33 compresses spring 38 releasing wedge tooth 39 from bar 21 while at the same time a pull on hook 4? defined in wire 48 causes wire 48, running through hollow pull rod 32, to swing lug 49 pivotally f around until its free end 50 hits the inner face 5| of pawl 34, thus holding this pawlaway, from bar 21 until this bar can be returned to its starting position to the left with the masks.

Thus, when one vertical column of records are f.

completed through each of slots [6, I1, and 58, then the next vertical column may be filled on sheets 9 by simply pulling one forward pull ar; finger hook 33 to move the group of tabulator masks one column to the right.

Note that in order to always retract pull rod 32 to its starting position each time, I am pro viding a compression spring 38 which in the meantime, simultaneously forces a wedge tooth 39 rearward to register exactly perfect in its centering position in one of notches 35 between two adjacent teeth 30 of bar 21 thus placing slots l6, l1 and I8 exactly over the'desired vertical foolumn of sheets 9. i

Note further that when the tabulator masks are thus all moved a notch at'a time they are each resting on rollers 40, 4|, 42am E3, sup? ported on plates 2, 3, 4, and 6, respectively and 3, when released by tapping on the desired x clamp hook M, and with their s'uppcrted tabulat-or masks may be pivotally or, hingedly lifted and easily held in lifted positionbyaidcf a counter balance and tensile springs 52 for;

each of plates 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and its supported corresponding ta-buiator masks i8, H, l2, l3 and In the meantime, the hinge pins ror'spp oit-f ing plates 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the corresponding tabulator masks must be exactly in the samevertical plane and the hinge pins for each individual set must be in axial alignment; whil'e ffor pawl 34 a stop' member 46 limits the sliding ratchet movement of bar 21 eachtime to the predetermined space needed to setithefmasksto;

the next column on the tabulator sheets 9.

Thus, in order to efiect this axial alignr ner it of hinge pins 55 and 56 of the mask support plates with hinge pins 23 and of the masks,

then it will be found economical and practical to curve the axis end 53 of support plates 2, 3,

4, 5 and 6 up a little as shown in Fig. 6, and

curve axis end 54 of the masks it, li,' i2, i3 and it, down a little as shown in Figure 7 Other mechanical aligning arrangements for these axes are obviously possible but ,this is practical.

It will be noted that index 59 for departments and items therein forms a front edge til of masks l2, and I4 and has a slide cap lfii' -of:

Hi, H,

transparent material to protect the index names.

Having thus described the operating features of my invention, what I claim is:

1. An equipment to expedite distribution of items in a perpetual inventory system, comprising a portable base frame, support standards, one at each end thereof, tabulator support plates pivotally hinged by each end to said standards, a slidably adjustable support bar operable across the'rear top surface of said base and spaced standards fixed on said bar, tabulator plate masks pivotally hinged to said bar standards -with the hinge axis on the same axis as the corresponding tabulator support plates for a selectiv'estepby step adjustment across said frame as each mask respectively rests with its free surface upon a corresponding adjacent tabulator support platefmeans for selectively adjusting said masks all simultaneously on said support plates, means for holding said mask supporting plates in operable .spacerelation and said masks shaped to definespaced slots for recording inventory data on a, tabulatcr sheet therethrough, as well as a front edge index window.

2.,A mechanism forjacilitating and expediting the distribution of perpetual inventory data. on items of merchandise and comprising, a portable base frame provided with side standards, tabulator support plates hingedly carried by said standards, a slidably adjustable tabulator mask support bar operable across the rear top surface of said base irame between said standards thereof, fixed standards ,also on said bar, a series of ratchet teeth along the rear and front edge of said bar, a hollow pull rod operable beerable with said wedge lug for retracting said rprlto itssel'ectedpositions of adjustment, a pawl release stop lug pivoted operatively adjacent said pawl on the rear end of said hollow pull rod, a front finger control hook forward on said pull rod, .a nd apull wire establishing connection between said control hook and said stop lug for holding said pawl from Contact with said bar when 'i etrac'ti'ng' the bar by' hand, tabulator masks provided'with spaced slots through which inventory data may be selectively recorded on rule'd tabulation sheets and said masks each resting on a corresponding tabulator support sheet, one'set'ab'ove the other in spaced relation, ahinge pin support for the pivotal'manipulation of said masks with'its respective support plates ei'tlijerindividually assets or all simultaneously asdesiredandsaid base frame standards and maskfsupporting standards disposed in the same vertical planegand theaxes of each set axially aligned, rollers for carrying said masks. on said' tabulator supportplates counter balances and springs-iron facilitating the handling of said masks and resilient spacer. hooks for holding the masks and. supporting. plates therefor in operable positionsor selectivelyreleasing them; whereby selected inventory data may be recorded on tabulating sheets through parallel spaced slots in iilmesls uresti s 0 3 11 Sheets nd whereby elesfiitae ieimentsmey e o ly made in hs.i n pastas p rm e o d g of further inventory data on other adjacent vertical columns on said invoice tabulating sheets; thus, to permit one to reconstruct individual orders in a way that will make possible the checking of all items as to selling and cost price.

WILLIAM D. WARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number Germany Sept. 23, 1937 

